44088results about "Mechanical energy handling" patented technology

In various embodiments, a surgical stapling instrument can comprise a plurality of magnetic elements configured to articulate an end effector of the surgical instrument. The surgical instrument can comprise at least one electromagnet which can be selectively activated, or polarized, to generate a magnetic field sufficient to motivate a second magnetic element, such as a permanent magnet and / or an iron core, for example, mounted to the end effector. In certain embodiments, a surgical stapling instrument can comprise a plurality of magnetic elements configured to open and / or close an end effector of the surgical instrument. In at least one embodiment, a surgical stapling instrument can comprise a plurality of magnetic elements configured to advance and / or retract a firing bar, cutting member, and / or staple sled within the surgical instrument in order to incise and / or staple tissue positioned within an end effector of the surgical instrument.

A powered surgical tool with a housing that contains a power generating unit such as a motor. A control module is disposed in a shell that is mounted in the housing. The control module contains a control circuit for regulating the actuation of the power generating unit. The power generating unit emits a signal representative of the operating state of the unit that is transmitted through the structural material forming the shell. Also internal to the control module shell is a sensor that monitors the signal emitted by the power generating unit. This signal output by the sensor is applied to the control circuit. The control circuit, based on the sensor signal regulates actuation of the power generating unit. Wherein the power generating unit is a motor, the signal emitted is the magnetic field that varies with rotor position. The sensor monitors the strength of this field.

A surgical instrument having a locking mechanism for preventing an output shaft of the surgical instrument from rotating and a further locking mechanism for mounting a battery pack to a distal end of a housing of the surgical instrument. The surgical instrument further includes a clutch mechanism for limiting the torque of a drive shaft of the surgical instrument. The locking mechanism for preventing the output shaft from rotating includes a locking switch which mates with a locking cap disposed on the output shaft. The locking mechanism for mounting the battery pack to the housing includes a groove at the distal end of the housing and a retaining ring which engages the groove when the battery pack is mounted on the housing. The clutch mechanism includes a clutch plate that interfaces with both the output shaft and the drive shaft and prevents failure of the motor shaft.

There is provided a flat type vibration motor 100 that includes a bracket 150 with a shaft 140 of which one end is inserted into and fixed to the center thereof, a printed circuit board 110 having a terminal portion 130 receiving external electricity and disposed on the side of the bracket 150, a stator disposed on the top of the printed circuit board 110, a rotor 170 rotatably installed in the shaft 140 and generating vibration while rotating by interaction with the stator 160, and a stopper 180 installed at the other end of the shaft 140. The bracket 150 and the shaft 140 are electrically connected with the terminal portion 130. Further, it is possible to use the bracket or a shaft as an external power connection terminal by electrically connecting a negative terminal to the bracket and the shaft through the contact portion.

The invention includes an electric machine having a rotor, stator and at least one winding in the stator adapted to conduct a current, and a secondary winding, electrically isolated from the first winding and inductively coupled to the first winding, which may be used to control at least one of the output voltage and current of the first winding.

The invention includes an electric machine having a rotor, stator and at least one winding in the stator adapted to conduct a current, and a secondary winding, electrically isolated from the first winding and inductively coupled to the first winding, which may be used to control at least one of the output voltage and current of the first winding.

A handheld surgical device includes a multi-position throttle, rotatably attached to the body of the device, to allow for ambidextrous positioning of a motor speed control lever. The motor speed control lever may interact with a speed control sensor in the body of the device capable of detecting the actuation level of the motor speed control lever in any one of two or more positions.

A driving tool having a driver, a power source, a sensor and a controller. The power source selectively provides an input to the driver to cause the driver to translate along an axis. The sensor senses a condition in the power source that is indicative of a level of kinetic energy of an element in the power source and generates a sensor signal in response thereto. The controller is coupled to the power source and the sensor and is responsive to the sensor signal for deactivating the power source to inhibit the power source from providing the input to the driver when the level of kinetic energy of the element in the power source is below a predetermined threshold. A method for operating a driving tool is also provided.

An H-bridge circuit is connected to a coil of the vibration motor that is to be driven. A comparator receives Hall signals indicating position information of a rotor of the vibration motor, and converts to an FG signal. A pulse width modulator generates a pulse-modulated pulse signal specifying energization time of the coil of the vibration motor. The pulse width modulator, in a first mode, after commencing start-up of the vibration motor, sets a duty ratio of the pulse signal to 100%, and after that, switches the duty ratio to a predetermined value in accordance with rotational frequency of the motor. In a second mode, the duty ratio of the pulse signal continues to be set to 100%. In a third mode, frequency and the duty ratio of the pulse signal are set based on a control signal of a pulse form inputted from outside. The control signal is used also in switching mode.

The present invention provides a reduction mechanism in which high torque output can he achieved, thinness and size and weight reduction can be achieved, and the number of teeth of a gear and reduction ratio can be freely set. In a gear motor that includes a reduction mechanism in which a planetary two-stage gear is arrayed between a sun gear of a planetary gear mechanism and an internal gear of a planetary gear mechanism, the reduction mechanism has at least a single planetary two-stage gear arrayed such as to be positioned between the sun gear and the internal gear and including a small gear or a large gear that meshes together with a large gear or a small gear of the planetary two-stage gear, and both end portions of the at least a single planetary two-stage gear are supported by ball bearings.

The invention relates to a hand tool for use with attachments. The hand tools of the invention may be used with attachments with various speed and torque requirements. Preferred hand tools comprise a body with a brushless DC motor and means. which control the energisation of the motor. In use the brushless DC motor of the preferred hand tool is electrically supplied to drive a power output means connected to said motor. Another preferred hand tool comprises a body with a motor contained therein, a void space between an internal surface of the body and at least a part of the motor, a fluid inlet port provided and a fluid outlet port provided in or on the body, and ducting means which provides a channel for fluid supplied via the fluid inlet port to and from the void space and then on to the fluid outlet port.

A motor control apparatus includes a steering column having inserted therein a steering shaft to which steering torque is transmitted, a reduction gear box coupled to the steering shaft, and an electric motor that transmits a steering assisting force to the steering shaft via a reduction mechanism in the reduction gear box. The electric motor and its control unit including a control board mounted with a control circuit, are provided side by side in the reduction gear box. A connection terminal of the electric motor is electrically connected to the control unit directly. This minimizes a connection distance between the control unit and the electric motor.

In various embodiments, a surgical stapling instrument can comprise a plurality of magnetic elements configured to articulate an end effector of the surgical instrument. The surgical instrument can comprise at least one electromagnet which can be selectively activated, or polarized, to generate a magnetic field sufficient to motivate a second magnetic element, such as a permanent magnet and / or an iron core, for example, mounted to the end effector. In certain embodiments, a surgical stapling instrument can comprise a plurality of magnetic elements configured to open and / or close an end effector of the surgical instrument. In at least one embodiment, a surgical stapling instrument can comprise a plurality of magnetic elements configured to advance and / or retract a firing bar, cutting member, and / or staple sled within the surgical instrument in order to incise and / or staple tissue positioned within an end effector of the surgical instrument.

A brushless DC motor including a rotor, a magnet provided to the rotor, a pair of bearings to rotatably support the rotor, a stator assembly that at least partly surrounds the rotor and magnet thereof and adapted to control movement of the rotor, and a bearing tube having an exterior surface and an interior surface that defines a tube interior. The stator assembly is provided along the exterior surface of the tube and the bearings are provided along the interior surface of the tube to support the rotor and magnet within the tube interior. The motor has sample application for use in PAP devices for delivery of positive airway pressure therapy for users or patients.

A control system for use with an ultrasonic surgical instrument includes a generator supplying electrical energy to an ultrasonic surgical instrument, the electrical energy supplied by the generator being controlled such that power applied by the instrument is maintained constant once a predetermined pressure threshold is met. The control system operates by assigning a nominal power at which the ultrasonic instrument is to operate and adjusting the current and voltage applied to the ultrasonic surgical instrument so as to maintain the power applied by the ultrasonic surgical instrument at approximately the nominal power.

PCT No. PCT / NZ95 / 00084 Sec. 371 Date Feb. 28, 1997 Sec. 102(e) Date Feb. 28, 1997 PCT Filed Sep. 14, 1995 PCT Pub. No. WO96 / 08683 PCT Pub. Date Mar. 21, 1996A solar concentrator for producing usable power as heat and / or electricity uses a self-steering heliostat 1502 to concentrate solar radiation 1509 onto an absorbing surface such as, or including, a solar cell array 1511 capable of absorbing power from the radiation, meanwhile removing heat (such as from long-wave infra-red radiation or resistive losses) from the surface with fluid heat transfer means 1503, 1504, then making effective use of that low-grade heat. Thus the solar cell array is kept relatively cool and a larger proportion of the solar energy incident on the reflector unit is used. The invention uses electricity 1506 from the solar cells to move a transporting fluid through a heat exchanger 1504. Excess electricity may be available for local storage or use 1510, or feeding 1512 to the power distribution grid. Applications include warming swimming pools 1501, heating hot-water supplies using excess electricity, or warming, lighting and ventilating open spaces.

A device for monitoring a rotating shaft is provided. The device measures strain in the shaft and provides angular velocity and torque in the shaft. The device includes a sensor, sensor conditioning circuitry, a microprocessor, and a transmitter, all located on a rotating shaft. The device obtains power by harvesting mechanical energy of the rotating shaft itself. Coils are provided rotating with the shaft and permanent magnets are mounted adjacent the rotating shaft so electrical energy is induced in the coils as they rotate through the magnetic field of the permanent magnets. A battery or capacitor is connected to the coils for storing energy. A microprocessor is connected to the sensors, the storage device, and the transmitter for managing power consumption and for monitoring the amount of electrical energy stored in the storage device and for switchably connecting the storage device to the transmitter when the stored energy exceeds a threshold.

A power generation system capable of eliminating NO, components in the exhaust gas by using a 3-way catalyst, comprising a gas compressor to increase the pressure of ambient air fed to the system; a combustor capable of oxidizing a mixture of fuel and compressed air to generate an expanded, high temperature exhaust gas; a gas turbine engine that uses the force of the high temperature gas; an exhaust gas recycle (EGR) stream back to the combustor; a 3-way catalytic reactor downstream of the gas turbine engine outlet which treats the exhaust gas stream to remove substantially all of the NOx components; a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG); an EGR compressor; and an electrical generator.

A vehicle tracking system includes a wheel containing sensor circuitry capable of sensing various types of conditions, such as wheel rotation, wheel vibration caused by skidding, and specific electromagnetic and / or magnetic signals indicative of particular wheel locations. The sensor circuitry is coupled to an RF transceiver, which may but need not be included within the wheel. The wheel may also include a brake mechanism. In one embodiment, the wheels are placed on shopping carts and are used to collect and monitor shopping cart status and location data via a wireless network. The collected data may be used for various purposes, such as locking the wheel of an exiting cart if the customer has not paid, estimating numbers of queued carts, stopping wheel skid events that occur during mechanized cart retrieval, store planning, and providing location-based messaging to customers.

A power converter for converting energy from a green power unit as e.g. a solar cell into energy fed into the commercial grid is described. The object is to provide a versatile modularized power converter with eased access to control of the power switches. Another object is to improve the electrical efficiency. This is achieved by using an independent controller on a DC / DC module and an independent controller on a DC / AC module, whereby the two independent controllers communicate with each other and the outside world by means of a communication bus. Further, the DC / DC module of the power converter comprises a transformer which transfers energy from the DC / DC module to the DC / AC module. This design enables independent control of the modules and eases controllability of the power switches in order to suppress retroaction from pulsations generated on the mains when supplying energy to a single phase grid. Hereby the electrical efficiency of the power converter is increased. Also, an active snubber circuit is described which further increase the efficiency.

A power converter for converting energy from a green power unit as e.g. a solar cell into energy fed into the commercial grid is described. The object is to provide a versatile modularized power converter with eased access to control of the power switches. Another object is to improve the electrical efficiency. This is achieved by using an independent controller on a DC / DC module and an independent controller on a DC / AC module, whereby the the two independent controllers communicate with each other and the outside world by means of a communication bus. Further, the DC / DC module of the power converter comprises a transformer which transfers energy from the DC / DC module to the DC / AC module. This design enables independent control of the modules and eases controllability of the power switches in order to suppress retroaction from pulsations generated on the mains when supplying energy to a single phase grid. Hereby the electrical efficiency of the power converter is increased. Also, an active snubber circuit is described which further increase the efficiency.

A navigation system uses a dead reckoning method to estimate an object's present position relative to one or more prior positions. In some embodiments, the dead reckoning method determines a change in position from the object's heading and speed during an elapsed time interval. In embodiments suitable for use with wheeled objects, the dead reckoning method determines the change in position by measuring the heading and the amount of wheel rotation. Some or all of the components of the navigation system may be disposed within a wheel, such as a wheel of a shopping cart.

A magnetically driven, axial flow pump comprises an electromagnetic unit arranged about the periphery of a pipe. A cylindrical rotor is accommodated within the pipe and is equipped with permanent magnets mounted on the periphery. A spiral, hollow vane is formed on an inner surface of the rotor by either casting or by cutting, such as with a NC machine, thus precluding the occurrence of gaps between the rotor and the vane. The lack of gaps within the pump makes the pump suitable for use as a blood pump.

An energy harvesting device includes a MEMS composite transducer. The MEMS composite transducer includes a substrate. Portions of the substrate define an outer boundary of a cavity. A MEMS transducing member includes a beam having a first end and a second end. The first end is anchored to the substrate and the second end cantilevers over the cavity. A compliant membrane is positioned in contact with the MEMS transducing member. A first portion of the compliant membrane covers the MEMS transducing member. A second portion of the compliant membrane is anchored to the substrate. The compliant member is configured to be set into oscillation by excitations produced externally relative to the energy harvesting device.

An electromagnetic linear generator and regenerative electromagnetic shock absorber is disclosed which converts variable frequency, repetitive intermittent linear displacement motion to useful electrical power. The innovative device provides for superposition of radial components of the magnetic flux density from a plurality of adjacent magnets to produce a maximum average radial magnetic flux density within a coil winding array. Due to the vector superposition of the magnetic fields and magnetic flux from a plurality of magnets, a nearly four-fold increase in magnetic flux density is achieved over conventional electromagnetic generator designs with a potential sixteen-fold increase in power generating capacity. As a regenerative shock absorber, the disclosed device is capable of converting parasitic displacement motion and vibrations encountered under normal urban driving conditions to a useful electrical energy for powering vehicles and accessories or charging batteries in electric and fossil fuel powered vehicles. The disclosed device is capable of high power generation capacity and energy conversion efficiency with minimal weight penalty for improved fuel efficiency.

A hydraulic pump powering system includes a mobile vehicle, a first electric current generator device, and one or more electric pump motors. The mobile vehicle has first and second prime movers. The first electric current generator device is disposed onboard the mobile vehicle and is configured to be mechanically coupled with the first prime mover to convert movement created by the first prime mover into first electric current. The one or more electric pump motors are configured to receive the first electric current to power a hydraulic pump. The second prime mover is configured to generate movement that is converted into a propulsive force that propels the mobile vehicle. The one or more electric pump motors are configured to receive the first electric current in order to power the hydraulic pump to pump a fluid into a pumping location located off-board the mobile vehicle.

A system of providing energy includes a transmitter for sending wirelessly a first type of energy and at least a second type of energy different from the first type of energy. The system includes a receiver for receiving wirelessly the first type of energy and converting it to usable energy. A transmitter for transmitting power wirelessly. A receiver for receiving wirelessly transmitted power. A method for providing energy.